1Amber Fort, Jaigarh and Panna Meena ka Kund
Amber Fort, 11 km north of the old city, is Jaipur's biggest sight and the one to see first, before the tour buses arrive. Give it two hours for the Diwan-i-Aam, the mirrored Sheesh Mahal and the views over Maota Lake. Jaigarh Fort sits on the ridge above it and holds Jaivana, once the largest cannon on wheels in the world. On the way down, stop at Panna Meena ka Kund, a 16th-century stepwell with criss-cross staircases, five minutes from the fort.
2Hawa Mahal, City Palace and Jantar Mantar
These three stand within a short walk of each other in the old city. Hawa Mahal, the Palace of Winds, was built in 1799 with 953 small windows so the royal women could watch the street unseen. It's best photographed in the morning from the cafés opposite. The City Palace is still partly home to the royal family; don't miss the four painted gates of Pritam Niwas Chowk. Next door, Jantar Mantar is a UNESCO-listed observatory whose giant sundial tells the time to within two seconds.
3Albert Hall, Birla Mandir and Patrika Gate
South of the walled city, the Albert Hall Museum holds an Egyptian mummy, armour and miniature paintings, and is lit up beautifully after dark. Birla Mandir, a white marble temple to Lakshmi and Narayan, is calm and free to enter, and is best at evening aarti. Patrika Gate, at the entrance to Jawahar Circle, is the city's most photographed gateway, with every wall and pillar painted in bright colour. It's quietest early in the morning.
4Jal Mahal, Galta Ji and Nahargarh at sunset
Jal Mahal, the water palace in the middle of Man Sagar Lake, is a quick photo stop on the Amber road; you can't go inside. Galta Ji, the Monkey Temple, sits in a gorge east of the city with spring-fed tanks and pink sandstone pavilions. End the day at Nahargarh Fort on the hill above the old city. The walk along its walls at sunset, with all of Jaipur below you, is the best view in town. Padao, the café on the ramparts, stays open after dark.
5Getting around and the composite ticket
Buy the composite ticket at the first monument you visit. It covers Amber Fort, Hawa Mahal, Jantar Mantar, Albert Hall, Nahargarh and a few more for two days, and costs much less than separate tickets. The City Palace is privately run and ticketed separately. The sights are spread over about 30 km, so a car with a driver for the day saves a lot of haggling with autos. Our Jaipur sightseeing package covers all of the above in one or two days.
